Mobile distributors sought for Channel Dragons’ den

TECHNOLOGY marketing company The (Tech) Crowd is on the hunt for mobile distributors to join its Channel Dragons programme.

The programme, launched this month, helps new and emerging vendors showcase their products to a panel of major retailers and distributors.

The (Tech) Crowd finds and vets the vendors and their products, selecting up to four products every quarter to put before its Channel Dragons panel of retailers and distributors.

The panel includes latest recruit Dixons Retail as well as Tech Data, Exertis Micro-P, CMS Distribution and Aspire Technologies. Now The (Tech) Crowd is looking for mobile distributors to join the panel. Membership of the Channel Dragons is free.

Speaking to Mobile, The (Tech) Crowd MD Jamie Plumridge (pictured) said: ‘We are looking to invite mobile distributors onto the panel in the near future. Our history is in the core IT and tech space and so initially our Dragons were from that space, but we are looking to broaden the panel as soon as possible to include dedicated mobile partners, because a lot of the products we are bringing to market are as equally relevant to the mobile industry as they are to the IT sector.’

Unlike the TV programme Dragons’ Den, Channel Dragons are presented with the products separately, so that they can speak freely about their commercial plans without rivals in attendance.

Plumridge said the service is much more than brokering deals between vendors and channel partners. He said: ‘Most vendors do not have the local market knowledge to make the right decision. We can guarantee a vendor gets in front of the top decision makers in those eleven companies within a two to three week period and that we will pitch their product in the best way possible.

‘In the same way we help retailers and distributors who don’t have the time to sift through all the countless numbers of vendors who call them on a weekly basis. We do all the due diligence necessary to help them make a decision.’

The company also helps its channel partners find the products that meet their strategy.

Plumridge said getting vendors in front of channel partners was only a small part of the service. ‘We are not just an introduction service. We provide a complete channel management strategy as well. Once a product is placed we provide support with account management, stock profiling, pricing, position strategy and sales training, so the first part of the process is really only 10% of what we do.’